This program began as a variety show, with Kunle Oguneye, author of the children's book Sikulu and Harambe, Ram Dutt, founder of the ecomm platform Meylah, and Patricia Lecy Davis, owner of the Embellish salon (who joined us by phone). We came to the realization that they had more in common than we originally thought -- that they all rely on their communities for their survival, especially in lean times. We're not just talking social media. Hear how they're making it and even finding ways to support each other in this surprisingly connected interview.

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According to Andrew Kinzer, Cofounder of GroupTalent, and Charina Flores, VP of Human Resources Operations at the Barbelo Group, when it comes to landing a gig, the tried and true still works -- especially for industries that are hot, like high tech, security, mobile and healthcare. Get to know the right people, have a keyword-smart resume and a spiffy LinkedIn profile, and use the same websites employers do. They also had a lot to say about:

• What employers are really looking for today
  
• How to best prepare to leave the corporate world for consulting
  
• Tips for getting on Microsoft's supplier list
  
• The difference between various freelance sites like GitHub and Odesk
  
• The cost of tech talent
• How cash-strapped businesses can attract employees
  

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Developing an app isn't easy. Hundreds of decisions about what to create and features to include are made every day. 

In this interview, Adam Tratt of Giant Thinkwell and maker of Haiku Deck, meets JP Werlin of Pipeline Deals. Each rivals the market leaders in their respective categories, presentation and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Haiku Deck is a startup, Pipeline Deals has been around for 6 years. They're opposites in many ways, yet when it comes to dealing with startup and growth issues, they have a lot in common: 

• Nailing the CROI (Consumer Return on Investment)
  
• How to "productize" best practices into an app
• Finding developers
  
• The importance of treating customers right
  
• Cash flow, and yes, even cats
  

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Few would consider Seattle to be a fashion capitol, but our guests, Theresa Olson (Motovista), Steven Matsumoto (Seattle Fashion Incubator), Angelica Buri (Angelica Buri Designs) and Kort Havens (Built for Man), are trying to change all that. We also explore what it takes to make it in the fashion business here, from putting together a line to finding the right location for a boutique. 

Also on the program, we try to define the Seattle look by its influences -- music culture, Microsoft, the weather...or the idea that it's beyond definition and it's really anything you want it to be.

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Scilla Andreen didn't start out as a film producer, director, or CEO and Co-Founder of IndieFlix, an independent film distribution company. She began her career in costume design -- and almost by accident. 

With companies like SnagFilms getting millions of dollars in funding, online distribution is big news and big business these days. That wasn't the case when Scilla started her business in 2005, with the simple idea that filmmakers should get a piece of the pie. In this interview Scilla talks about her road to success and what she's doing to make that happen.

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Developing products that sell well at retail is no easy task. Sometimes there's the willingness to take a risk. At other times, the determination to invest in what you think is worthwhile.

One thing we learned from our guests, Lori and Llance Kezner of GarLic It and Becky Morrette of Sunday Drive Designs, is that creating successful products is personal.

• Why the Kezner's got into business for themselves
  
• The path from manufacturing 24 units of GarLic It to commercial quantities
• How a blog post turned a potato into a bestseller for Sunday Drive Designs

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Casual Connect Seattle is taking place this week. It's the premier event for the casual gaming industry.

A couple of brothers, Iain and Gavin McConnon, have created Boxpay, a service designed to help monetize one of the biggest areas for growth in gaming -- mobile. The service gives developers the ability to easily integrate global carrier billing into their games, while giving players a fast and frictionless payment experience.

They started several businesses before creating Boxpay in 2011, and they've got four offices around the world. Hear their story and how a couple of guys from Dublin, Ireland are getting along in this massively competitive space.

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Bonnie Cashman didn't have to keep working after retiring, but when she got bitten by the pilates bug she couldn't help but open her own studio in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Lab 5 Fitness was born only a few years ago at the height of the recession and is thriving.

Not every passion turns a profit, and not every marriage lasts as long as theirs, especially when you've worked together so long, yet Bonnie and her husband are still going strong in business and in life.

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Working together isn't new, but these two new business models are. Staging & Design Network is bringing together a community that hasn't worked collaboratively in the past to share valuable resources. Founder Tricia Tomlinson explains how it will change the way stagers, real estate agents and suppliers work together. Sharon Rowley handles communications for SDN, and she talks about the importance of building a community -- and how she's doing it.

Booktrope is a profit-sharing model filling the gap between traditional and self publishing. Our guest, Katherine Sears explains it as the funnel, the flood and the filter. It's a unique model that gives authors a fighting chance at selling books, and readers the opportunity to connect with them.

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A serious record collector and a music expert walk into a bar...or should we say a new store in Kirkland. Daren Compton and David Chadwick recently opened Vortex Music and Movies, and they took time out from a busy Saturday to share with us why vinyl is making a comeback and their belief in local retail as it struggles to survive against online and mobile shopping.

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